---
order: 0
title: Spine Overview
type: Graphics
group: Spine
label: Graphics/2D/Spine/overview
---

Spine is a 2D skeletal animation system designed for game development. It creates animations by attaching images to bones and then manipulating those bones, offering developers greater control and flexibility while providing artists with a more efficient and streamlined workflow.  
Compared to traditional frame-by-frame animation, Spine animations offer the following advantages:  

- **Smaller file size**: Traditional animations require every frame of imagery to be provided, while Spine animations store only bone animation data, resulting in significantly reduced file sizes.  
- **Reduced art requirements**: Spine animations require fewer art assets, allowing teams to save time and resources that can be redirected toward game development.  
- **Smoothness**: Spine animations use interpolation algorithms to calculate intermediate frames, ensuring consistently smooth animation playback.  
- **Attachment slots**: Animations are achieved by binding images to bones. You can easily swap equipment (e.g., weapons, accessories) or even modify character appearances to reuse animations for different scenarios.  
- **Animation blending**: Multiple animations can be blended simultaneously. For example, a character can shoot a gun while also walking, running, jumping, or swimming.  
- **Programmatic animation**: Bones can be controlled via code to achieve effects like aiming at the mouse cursor, targeting enemies, or adjusting posture when climbing slopes.  

This section will cover:  
- [How to import Spine assets into the Galacean editor](/en/docs/graphics/2D/spine/editor)  
- [How to add and use Spine animations](/en/docs/graphics/2D/spine/add-and-use)  
- [Examples and templates](/en/docs/graphics/2D/spine/example)  
- [Version compatibility and performance optimization](/en/docs/graphics/2D/spine/other)
